Ricky talked to Struck/Down last year, and we’ve been following them for some time. Yet… there was something missing. Of course! They’ve not been subjected to our Headline Act inquisition! Well, they hadn’t until now…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are from Canterbury, Kent here in the UK.
How did you meet?
Depending on who you ask it’s a mixed bag! Tommy and Ian met in their first ever project Hunter/Killer over a decade ago. Tommy was then subsequently scouted by Linden to join a new project Struck/Down and after some convincing of the other members Ian joined the fold. Skip forward several years Will joined the band after a changeup in line up bringing with him Pete.
How long have you been playing as a band?
Struck/Down as an entity is easily a decade old but this lineup is as fresh as last summer. It’s been great adding Pete and Will into the fold and has allowed us to freshen up old songs and have fresh ears in writing new ones.
Before you get sick of being asked… Where does the band name come from?
It’s a very simple story! Original member Will Mason and Linden saw an electrical sticker at a local practice room with the band name on it. Since then it just stuck and Struck/Down was formed.
What are your influences?
Our influences are as unique as all the members and depending on who you ask you’ll get different answers from deathcore to classic metal and all the sub genres in between. We’ve settled on a sound that incorporates Lamb of God, Black Label Society, Gojira, Sylosis and Mastodon. It’s quite an extensive list!
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We don’t feel like we are pigeon holed by a particular sub-genre of metal and each track could touch on multiple areas ranging from doom, groove, thrash, core etc. We like to give each track its own space to thrive in any of these areas and by the time Linden’s vocals are added it forms into a Struck/Down track. Expect fast riffs, slow riffs, powerful vocals and punchy drums.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Our last release From Demons.. and this upcoming release To Witches.. are linked with the story of Father Bernard, a cursed priest who causes chaos in the modern day. Following this story touches on some very personal struggles that the band have had as individuals as well as highlighting the injustice of modern day life.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We are well into the hundreds in shows at this point including Bloodstock but we play every show like it’s our last. We go in with 100% energy and aren’t scared of traversing the crowd or climbing whatever is climbable. Listeners can expect walls of riffs, massive dynamics and a whole lot of humour from Linden, our front man.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
This mostly involves Linden climbing things! Be that bars, the audience or generally what’s available! We’ve also made a venue so warm with our set and the energy of ourselves and the audience that an AC unit exploded making for a particular wet pit!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Tommy – Drums:
- Mapex Armory Fusion
- Meinl Cymbals
- London Drumstick Co. Sticks
Ian – Rhythm Guitar:
ESP LTD EC-1000T with Bareknuckle Ragnarok and Seymour Duncan ’59
- Victory VX Kraken
- Horizon Devices Precision Drive
- D’addario Strings
- Dunlop Jazz III picks
Pete – Lead Guitar:
- ESP LTD MH1000 evertune model, Emg 81 60 pickups
- Hx stomp for effects other than the Dunlop Zakk wylde wah
- EvH 5150 Iconic
- D’addario Strings
- Dunlop Jazz III picks
Will – Bass:
- Fender Jazz Bass
- Orange Terror Bass
- Korg Pitchblack
- EBS MultiComp
- Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi
- Joyo Classic Chorus
- D’Addario EXL160BT Bass Strings
- Dunlop Tortex Standard 0.60mm Guitar Picks
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We just dropped our latest single “The Enforcer” which is the first single from our upcoming EP To Witches.. dropping 07/07. Single two from this upcoming EP comes 30/06. We are insanely excited for people to hear it!
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
The next 6 months will see us gigging up and down the country to support our upcoming release and to continue to grow our fanbase. Ultimately however its to have a great time as a band!
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
We would absolutely love to jump on stage with Green Lung and have our good mates in Atravion support us along the way. The Atravion guys are great lads doing some great things in the scene right now!
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
If you want to check out more new music, then fire up our Headline Act playlists on Spotify and YouTube!
Struck/Down: facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube
